According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 3 American adults has cardiovascular disease (CVD) (over 80 million adults) and the WHO indicates that CVD is the number 1 cause of death worldwide. Thus despite major advances in treatment of CVD, it remains the leading cause of death in our nation and the world. The Cardiovascular Health and Physical Activity group here at University of Missouri (MU) has attracted national recognition for work revealing molecular, biochemical and physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise on CVD. This current application will build on this strength by adding a molecular/cellular biologist and thereby improve integration of state-of the-art molecular, biochemical and physiological assessments of cardiovascular processes. The new faculty member will fit into one of four groups of cardiovascular researchers: 1) Cardiac Muscle. 2) Vascular Biology and Exercise. 3) Microvascular Biology and Imaging. 4) Neural-humoral Cardiovascular Control that are integrated into long-standing training programs in several departments. The newly-hired faculty member will be able to mentor graduate students from several units. Career development is fostered by a mentoring committee of senior investigators who serve as a resource for career decision, research review and grant and manuscript formulation. Intense interactions across departmental and divisional lines are encouraged and routine on this campus. The addition of a cardiovascular cellular/molecular biologist will build on the interdisciplinary research excellence in cardiovascular sciences and further establish MU as a premiere research and training center in the U.S. for Exercise and Cardiovascular Health. This faculty member will examine the basis of CVD using molecular biology, and gene regulation and as a result form collaborative links that will enhance their career development. The outstanding cadre of investigators here in the cardiovascular sciences group, combined with this new faculty member will attain an even higher level of national preeminence reveal fundamental mechanisms in prevention and treatment of CVD. Cardiovascular researchers at MU are at the forefront of research concerning the effects of exercise/physical activity on cardiovascular disease. This is a proposal to hire a researcher with training and interests in molecular biology, and gene regulation focused on the importance of exercise/ physical activity in preventing cardiovascular disease. This will create a new faculty position and add 1 or 2 research staff positions. These faculty, combined with the new faculty member, will reveal fundamental mechanisms in how muscle activity/exercise contribute to prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease